Earrings and Triangles

I finished the triangle in the center of pic last night.  I made 5 pairs of earrings for the sale next week!

I've been busy tonight... maybe I should let wind blow up my skirt more often:)  These angel earrings were great sellers last time so I'm making a few more pair.  I also made a couple of gift box earrings.  Used all Swarovski crystals... some sterling silver for the angels and some gold plate for the gift boxes.  Very cute!  If I can keep this up I'll be good to go for the sale on Dec. 9th.

Marilyn and Me

So I'm walking along the side walk, when something like this happens!  Well not exactly... there wasn't a vent in the sidewalk and I wasn't wearing a billow-y white dress...  the zipper on my skirt came undone!!!  Feeling a cool breeze on my hiney was not a welcome feeling.  Indeed, my butt was hanging out a bit... good thing I was wearing tights!  A woman caught my eye and we both just started laughing... she said, "I thought you just had a long skirt on."  Well, I didn't.  The good thing is I caught it before it was down to my ankles.  Thanks, Marilyn for making it cool to show your hiney in public.

AAAAAaaack! Again? Really?

Can't seem to get on top of this mess!

Here's part 2 of the beady MESS!  I can't seem to quit stringing beads.  I'm a big bead WEAVER at heart but I'm doing a little show in a couple of weeks and as I've said before, the hours it takes to create a woven piece just doesn't pay off for me.  I don't have a following and I guess people can't see the worth in the hours it takes to create cool beaded pieces.  I'm going to put some beaded triangles in the show.  But the quartz necklaces and bronze chain necklaces will sell.... so a-stringing I will go.
That being said... the MESS.... the MESS... the MESS.  It's worse tonight than last night! AAaaCK!  And I'm leaving it until I get this stringing out of my system.  Then I'll move on to making earrings.  So much for me valuing my own space and keeping it neat.  Procrastination.  Why do today what I can put off unil tomorrow?
I did manage to pick up the turkey today.  And the yams for Boubon Yams... yum!
Looking forward to 2 days in a row off!  Yeah for Thanksgiving.

Work in Progress

I think the most difficult thing for me (and other crafty, beady types) is to pick up after myself.  When I've finished a project I can let the "leftovers" sit for days.  When will I learn to put things back where I found them?  Maybe this is one of those things we all "learned in kindergarten" and ignore when we grow up.  It just makes too much sense to pick up right after a project.  I get lost in what I'm doing, though and when I'm done, I'm really done.  Sure I'm "high" on my project, but when it's over, I simply walk away and save the mess for another day.  Then I have a couple of hours of clean up saved for another time.  I'm not being fair to ME!  I need an attitude shift on this.  I'm going to start thinking about how much I love to have this cozy beady room neat, with all the doodads in their doodad homes.  Makes sense, huh?  Here's hoping it'll happen.

Beading home of several completed projects.  Pick up after yourself, please!

My goal for the next month is simply this: keep beady space neat.  That'll be difficult due to the fact that I'm a beady MESS... making tons of earrings and beading another very cool triangle.

Accumulation

I'm getting ready for a little jewelry sale that my friend Joel is hosting.  I've just got to sell some of the stuff I've accumulated over the years.  This is beautiful hand-beaded jewelry some of which has never been worn.  It's kind of embarrassing to show the pictures of this accumulation.   All the energy and heart that went into each piece... and it just rests on a stand.  I know that earrings sell and they are fast and easy to create.  I also know that hand beaded jewelry isn't appreciated by your basic everyday consumer who can cruise down to Cost Plus World Market and get inexpensive (I want to say cheap) beaded jewelry.  I will be putting some cool stuff in the sale... but it won't be cheap.  Two years ago I received $100 for my cellini spiral bracelets.  I have some more to sell.  I'm also creating some cool necklaces with those triangles!  And of course lots and lots of earrings... because they are fun and fast!
This whole beading thing IS an addiction.  Point being:  I want to make some $$ so that I can buy more beads!!!!
Here are pictures of some of the accumulation... and this is just the bracelets!  One of these days I'll get close up shots of the bracelets that don't sell... they are really very cool!  There are samples from classes I've taught... and most of the stitches I've learned over the years, represented here.

Whatever will she make with THESE?

This reminds of geometry class AND the spirograph toy.

I've been really busy making triangles this week.  They do create a cool pattern when they are circled up but I have better plans for these little ones.  Stay tuned for more!
In the mean time, we have a couple of grandkids spending the night.  Gotta get ready to take them to their fav: Spaghetti Factory.  Don't be quick to judge... it's a kid-friendly place, they serve wine and dessert's included.  White Clam and Mizithra, here I come!

Occupied

We checked out Occupy Portland yesterday.  We are the 99% so we thought we'd check out "our people". The camp was pretty muddy... the grass in the two parks completely destroyed.  It was pretty stinky, too.  The police were wearing surgical masks due to tb and viral pneumonia in the camps.  Yuck!
The protesters have left the parks and are standing off with Portland Police this afternoon.  "Breaking News" for two hours.  Nothing is happening.  People are standing, Police are standing.  That's all.  I had to turn off the TV due to complete boredom.  I want to be fired up over this.  We watched a documentary, "Inside Job", narrated by Matt Damon.  It tells the story of the Wall Street bail out.  The rich getting richer.  The corrupt politicians.  Very good piece.
For now, the news is on hold and I have a need to bead.

While the parks were still occupied...

Still Seeing STARS

Still working on stars.  Here's a four pointed star that I've attached to the five point.  I was hoping to finish up a necklace tonight but that's not in the STARS!  Learned today that my dad will be going home tomorrow.  Stars are lining up for health and life!  I'll be seeing stars tonight... ha!  It's clear!

First Star I See Tonight

Finished my first star today!  As I mentioned in previous post it's a Jean Power pattern.  Zipping the five wonky squares together to form this star was so rewarding.  I started this star while in Spokane, helping my Mom figure out some things with my Dad's health.  Now I'm back home in Portland, and I have the completed star to hold in my hands, and dare I say, admire?  When we do hand work, we think, we remember, we even pray while the needle moves and beads click.  This star will always hold this week in it's arms (it has FIVE arms, after all).  This star is the color of life:  the pain, the joy, the blessings, the laughter, the heartache.  I love this star.  I don't know yet what I'll do with it... probably bead little friends for it to shine with and for and around.

Homeward Bound

What a week!  My dad got pneumonia and went to the hospital.  I drove to Spokane (6 hours) to be a support to my Mom.  He was pretty out of it for a few days but things are looking better for him.  We researched rehab centers and nursing homes (Dad is 86) and found the perfect place.  Close to home, lots of PT and they'll even go up to the house and pick up his favorite recliner to practice getting in and out of.  Hopefully he'll only be there a week or so and then back home.  He should be moved to rehab tomorrow.

I took some pictures with my iPhone on the way back to Portland.  It's so interesting to experience the topography on an East/West drive.  This picture was taken from a gas stop at Biggs Junction, right before the green happens.  There are so many of these windmills along the Columbia River Gorge... they are cool looking but they take a toll on the land.
So glad to be home!  I took some beads with me and in a weak (not really) moment downloaded some awesome geometric patterns from Jean Power... really cool on pay pal because she lives in London, England and pay pal has to convert from pounds to U.S. dollars.  Isn't it amazing that I received patterns from the UK in like 2 minutes.  I heart technology... no, really, I do!  I'll have pictures of some beaded stars soon, I hope.
In the mean time, I'm grateful for doctors and nurses, OTs and PTs, MSWs, and all the folks at Valley General who are taking care of my dad.